1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antennas. More specifically, the present invention relates to high power radio frequency antennas.
2. Description of the Related Art
For certain applications, there is a need for a high power radio frequency (RF) antenna capable of radiating large amounts (e.g. 3 gigawatts) of RF power with long pulse durations on the order of one microsecond. Unfortunately, conventional RF antennas are not typically capable of operating effectively at such high power levels. This is due to the fact that at high power levels, the electric field at the output of the antenna is generally so high as to cause the air to break down and ionize. The ionized air conducts and limits the performance of the antenna. Further, the high power sources that could be used with such antennas are typically sensitive to reflections.
In addition, to the extent that conventional antennas have been used for high power applications, the antennas have been driven with short pulses on the order of 100 nanoseconds, for which the air-break down limit is considerably higher than for one microsecond pulses.
Hence, there is a need in the art for a high power RF antenna capable of radiating large amounts of power with long pulses and minimal reflection.